In a previous issue of The Christian (“The Spirit World,” June 2012), we have discussed the devil and some of his activities. However, much has happened in the world during the past 10-15 years, and we feel compelled to address the subject once more. In a certain sense it is certainly true that in the realm of Satan’s activities, “There is no new thing under the sun. ... It hath been already of old time, which was before us” (Eccl. 1:9-109The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. (Ecclesiastes 1:9‑10)). Most of Satan’s ways and means have had their origin thousands of years ago, and his modes of behavior today are simply reruns of what he has done in the past. However, his methods do change with the times, and souls can easily be seduced by “wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:1111Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)) with which they are not familiar.
We would point out, first of all, that man does not need Satan to incite him to do evil. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, he has had a sinful nature that is prone to every kind of evil, and as God could say of man before the flood of Noah, “Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:55And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)). Man’s heart has not improved since then; it is the same today. Also, we know that during the millennium, with Satan bound in the bottomless pit and under the most favorable conditions possible on this earth, sin will still occur. Nevertheless, we do know that Satan is behind much of the evil in this world, and he is perhaps becoming more active as God and His claims are being given up. We are clearly in the last days of 2 Timothy 3:1-9, and not only are all these things coming upon this world, but they are coming at an increasingly rapid pace. A warning is in order, for this description depicts Christendom, not the heathen world. Inevitably, it has an effect on us who are true Christians.
Situational Ethics
First of all, absolute truth is being given up, and relativism has largely taken over. “Situational ethics” are used to decide how to handle a problem, with little regard for right or wrong. The easiest solution is applied, even if morality must be sacrificed. Sadly, this goes on among true believers too. I remember two cases in which I was involved where dear brothers in Christ were spoken to about what they had done contrary to Scripture in their personal lives. Neither one disputed the meaning of the scriptures quoted, but neither confessed to doing wrong either. Both, on separate occasions, simply said, “You don’t realize the stress I was under at the time.” A stressful situation was used to justify disobeying the Word of God. Satan is behind all this, for he has sought to corrupt the Bible for thousands of years and to persuade man that he (Satan) is wiser than God.
Second, we are seeing an increasing lack of discipline, whether self-discipline or in the discipline of others, particularly young children. In the last 20-30 years, we have seen the rise of a whole generation of parents who were raised without proper discipline, and they in turn are now raising children. The result is that often there are no firm consequences for bad behavior in children. Then there is an outcry when the police occasionally must be called in to deal with children who are out of control. However, the root of all this is a lack of self-discipline, for if we cannot discipline ourselves, we cannot discipline our children.
God’s Claims
However, there is an even deeper root to this lack of discipline, and that is, a throwing off of God’s claims. All authority ultimately is derived from God, and if I deny God’s authority over me, then I will not obey other authority unless compelled to do so by superior force. The giving up of God is the real root of a lack of discipline.
Exacerbating all this is increasingly bad behavior by governmental officials and others in positions of administration and responsibility. Some years ago, the Canadian government declined to prosecute a large company for well-documented corruption and wrongdoing because they felt that the resultant fallout from an almost certain conviction would result in the loss of too many jobs. The incidence of corruption, sexual misconduct, blatant lying, and other crimes among those in high places and so-called “influencers” tends to make others say to themselves, “If they can do it, why shouldn’t I?” It is no longer a matter of right and wrong, but what I can get away with. These things happened in the past, to be sure, but they are happening with increasing frequency today. Those who once stood for truth and uprightness are now often using their positions for illegal activities and personal gain. As another has aptly remarked, “In the history of this world, God has often accomplished His purposes by allowing the basest of men to rule.” But we know that Satan has a strong influence among those who govern this world, although he can go only as far as God allows.
Reckless Behavior
Another area where Satan is having a strong influence is in the area of reckless behavior. He is persuading young people that since the world is in such terrible shape with the threat of war, along with such things as wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes and floods, there is no real future for them. The attitude of “Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die” (1 Cor. 15:3232If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die. (1 Corinthians 15:32)) has taken over the lives of some, so that the thrill of some dangerous experience outweighs the threat of serious injury or death. Satan blinds them to the solemn truth that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)). The only future becomes that of this world, with no regard for what will take place after death.
There are several other areas where Satan has a large impact, and they are potentially even more dangerous than what we have already mentioned. The first one is the Internet. When it was first made available, some thought that it would be used very little. How wrong they were! As with almost every other invention of man, the Internet has many good uses, and communication with those in some areas of the world is possible only by this means. However, we all know that every kind of wickedness and sin can now be accessed on the Internet, and by any age group. Without proper parental care and guidance, this has resulted in the loss of innocence in young children and has promoted the committing of serious crimes by those still in grade school. Children have been robbed of their childhood and given knowledge that they are not ready to process and deal with properly. In addition, this knowledge is often presented in a perverted way.
Sexual Perversion
This brings us to the matter of sexual perversion and the explosion of every deranged way of thinking imaginable on this subject. We know from Romans 1 That when man gives up God, God allows him to see the full effect of his choice. First comes sexual immorality between men and women, then the sordid uncleanness of homosexual relationships and ultimately same-sex marriages. These “vile affections” (Rom. 1:2626For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: (Romans 1:26)) have once again become common in so-called Christian lands today and are causing terrible confusion, especially in young children who are affected by all this. Recently a young boy (about seven years old) was featured on the Internet, heading off to school wearing a skirt. His mother’s comment was, “My son is being very brave”!
Social Media
Finally, there is the subject of social media. Entities like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others allow a literal avalanche of personal information to be traded across the globe. Some of this doubtless is beneficial and, as with the Internet itself, allows easy communication between individuals who are widely separated by distance. However, we must all remember the injunction Paul gave the Ephesians: “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:1616Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:16)). If the days were evil in Paul’s day, what would he say today? We are all given the same number of hours in a day, but what do we do with that time? Are we redeeming it or wasting it? The addicting quality of social media is well-known, and some of us are more prone to this addiction than others. Again, it is a work of Satan to rob us of our time, which God has given us to use for His glory.
We are thankful for every Christian who is able, with the Lord’s help, to “use the world, as not disposing of it as their own” (1 Cor. 7:33Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. (1 Corinthians 7:3)1 JnD). There are many things in this world that we can use for God’s glory. However, we must remember that for the moment, this world is Satan’s world, and we must have our guard up, lest his wiles overtake us.
W. J. Prost